Automatic tracker.



F. W. DRAPER.

AUTOMATlC TRACKER. APPLICATION FILED APR.26. 1913.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l attorneys THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-THO WASHINGTON,D. C.

witnesses F. W. DRAPER.

AUTOMATIC TRACKER. APPLICATION FILED APR-26 1513.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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F. W. DRAPER.

AUTOMATIC TRAQKER- APPLICATION FILED AP R.26, 1913.

Patented May 4,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANCIS W. DRAP ER, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STARR PIANOCOMPANY, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

' AUTOMATIC TRACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed April 26, 1913. Serial No. 763,829.

To all whom it mafa concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS W. DRAPER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county ofWayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in. Automatic Trackers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relatesto tracker devices for player pianos; and has foran object to provide means for automatically readjusting the relationbetween a traveling music sheet and a tracker bar when the desiredalinement has been interrupted, and means for setting the adjustingmeans manually to compensate for shrinking or swelling of the musicsheet andalso the improper or inaccurate positioning of the perforationsupon the sheet A further object of the invention is to provide a trackerbar of substantially the usual and ordinary form preferably rigidlyconnected with the music box and with a rigid frame surrounding themusic box carrying the music rolls and operating mechanism with improvedpneumatic means for moving the rigid frame and the carried partsrelative to such tracker bar. T I

A further object of the invention is to provide means for permitting themanual independent adjustment of the valves relative to the slidingmember.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certainnovel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully de scribed and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of a conventional music box in frontelevation showing the improved tracking controlling device connectedtherewith. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the music box with theattachment carried thereby. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of therigid frame carrying the music rolls and the pneumatic control therefor.Fig. 1 is a view of the outside of the music box in end elevationshowing the tracker attachment connected therewith. Fig.- 5 is atransverse sectional view through the music box and attachment taken online 55'of Figs} 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the manualadjusting mechanism removed from the music box. Fig. 7 is a detail viewin plan of one of the valves as indicated by arrow 7 at Figs. 1 and 6.Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the valves in end elevation looking inthe direction indicated by arrow 8 in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a view of one ofthe valves in rear elevation as indicated by arrow 9 at Fig. 5. Fig. 10is a view in perspective of one of the valve blocks. Fig. 11 is a detailview of the pivoted connection between the side member and itscontrolling lever as indicated by arrow 11 at Figs. 1 and 6.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

The improved tracking mechanism which forms the subject matter of thisapplication is adapted to be associated with a music box of a playerpiano indicated conventionally at 15 having a tracker bar 16 both ofsubstantially the usual and ordinary form.

Surrounding the music box preferably upon the exterior thereof is arigidframe comprising the end cross bars 17 and 18 and top and bottom rods 19and 20 which frame carries the music spool-21 and the winding roll 22.This spool and roller are carried in substantially the usual manner bysleeves 23 and 24 having spring connections and trunnions 25 and- 26 bywhich such spool and roller are controlled in substantially the usualand ordinary manner. The connections of the music spool and music rolldo not differ from the ordinary means of connecting such spool and rollwith the music box except that the connections extend loosely throughthe cheek plates of the music box and are carried directly by the crossbars 17 and 18. Connected also with the cross bar 18 is the drivingmechanism indicated as a whole at 27 in Figs. 1 and 2, such drivingmechanism forming no essential part of the present invention.

As indicated at Fig. 1 the rigid frame carrying the music spool 21 andthe music roll 22 is slidable relative to the music box and the trackerbar 16 so that the music sheet may be moved transversely of its widthand longitudinally of the tracker bar to readjust the alinement of thesheet relative to the bar. To effect such movement a double pneumatic 28is provided, such pneumatic having on opposite sides movable walls 29and 30 connected by a cross bar 31 so that said walls 29 and 30 movetogether. The wall 29 is connected with the rigid frame through themedium of a link 32 and connecting clips and 3a. It is obvious,therefore, that when the walls 29 and 30 of the pneumatic move they movetherewith the rigid frame and the music spool and music roll. To providefor such movement of the walls of the pneumatic the said pneumatic isconnected by means of a flexible tube with the ordinary exhaust chest ofthe player piano so that the said double pneumatic is under constantexhaust in the usual and ordinary manner. Adjacent the tracker bar 16 arod is slidably mounted carrying blocks 37 and 38 adjustable thereon,such adjustment being effected by means of knurled screws 39 and 40respectively. The blocks 37 and 38 are similar but reversed and adescription of one will serve as a description of both. The block 38 isprovided with a port ll communicating with a nipple 42 which extendsthrough the cheek plate and has connected therewith a flexible pipe l3extending to one side of the pneumatic. The other block 37 has aflexible tube l4; extending to the other side of the pneumatic.

The block 38 is provided with a valve member 4L5 pivoted thereto as atlG with a spring 4:7 adapted to hold the valve normally to seat over theport ll. The block also carries an upstanding wing a8 normally inalinement with the edge of the music sheet as indicated by its alinementwith the ends of the music spool and music roll as shown in Fig. 1. Awing l8 is similarly carried by the block 37 in similar alinement. It isobvious that under normal conditions the music sheet passing over thetracker bar will have its opposite edges engaging the wings a8 and to",that any movement of the sheet in either direction will serve to actuateone of the valves and that the actuation of such valve to open itscorresponding port will actuate the pneumatic to move the frame spooland roll in such direction as to restore the alinement.

It will be apparent that as the relation of the perforation to thetracker bar varies un der different conditions of cutting andatmospheric conditions the adjustment must be restored by a manualsliding of the blocks 37 and 38 along the rod 36 or that the entire rodmust be moved to move both of such blocks and their accompanying valvesin unison. The sliding of the said rod 36 and the accompanying valves isaccomplished by means of the lever e9, pivoted to the cheek plate at 50and pivotally connected with the rod 36 by bending the top of said leverat right angles as indicated at 51 and providing the rod 36 with acollar 52, a screw 53 being inserted through such bent over portion 51and the collar 52 and abutting against the rod.

A rod 54 is slidably mounted in the bottom of the music box andpivotally connected with the lever 4:9 as at 55 with a manual lever 56pivoted in the music box as indicated at 57 and also pivotally connectedat 58 with the rod 5-1 as shown particularly at Fig. 6. It will beapparent, therefore, that as the manual lever 56 is moved in eitherdirection the sliding rod 36 will also be moved in the oppositedirection as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 to move its valvemembers to restore the normality of the sheet and tracker bar.

It will, therefore, be apparent that the valves will not only beoperated by the displacement of the music sheet under ordinaryconditions but the rod carrying such valves may be manually operated bythe manual lever56 at will of the player. Such valves may also beadjusted relative to the rod by means of the screws 39 and l0. By thisadjustment wide range of adjustment of the parts is accomplished.

I claim:

1. The combination with a tracker bar, of a rigid frame embracing thetracker bar, music rollers carried by the rigid frame upon oppositesides of the tracker bar, pneu matic means for moving the rigid frameand music rollers, a sliding member mounted adjacent the tracker bar,valves carried by the sliding member, and in line with the ends of saidrollers and means to manually adjust the sliding member relative to thetracker bar.

The combination with a tracker bar rigidly mounted, of a rigid framesurrounding the tracker bar, music rollers carried by the rigid frameupon opposite sides of the tracker bar, pneumatic means for shifting therigid frame and music rollers longitudinally of the tracker bar, a rodadjacent and slidable relative to the tracker bar, valves carried by therod in line with the ends of said rollers and adapted to control thepneumatic, and means to manually slide the rod independently of thetracker bar and music rollers.

3. The combination with a tracker bar; of music rollers upon oppositesides of the tracker bar, pneumatic means for simultaneously moving themusic rollers relative to the tracker bar, a double pneumatic a rodmounted adjacent the tracker bar, valve blocks carried by the red, wingscarried by the blocks in alinement with the opposite ends of the musicrollers, means connecting the valves with the pneumatic, and manualmeans to slide the rod longitudinally of the tracker bar.

4. The combination with a tracker bar, of music rollers disposed uponopposite sides of the tracker bar, pneumatic means for adjusting thealinement between the tracker bar and the music rollers, a rod slidablymounted adjacent the tracker bar, valve blocks carried by the rod, inalinement With the opposite ends of the music rollers, means forcontrolling the vavles, and manual means for sliding the rod relative tothe tracker bar and rollers.

5. The combination With a tracker bar, a movable frame, music rollerstherein on opposite sides of the tracker bar, and means to automaticallyadjust the position of the frame and music rollers With respect to thetracker bar; of a rod slidably mounted relative to the tracker bar,valve members on the rod, Wings carried by said members and normally inalinement With the opposite ends of the music rollers, a second slidablymounted rod, a manual lever for moving it, and a rock lever connectingthe tWo rods.

6. The combination With a tracker bar; of

music rolls on opposite sides of the tracker bar, means forsimultaneously moving the music rolls relative to the tracker bar, adouble pneumatic, a rod mounted adjacent the tracker bar, valve blockscarried by the rod in 'alinement With the opposite ends of the musicrolls, tubes connecting the valves with the pneumatic, and a hand leverconnected With the rod for moving it longitudinally of the tracker barindependent of said pneumatic. 1

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANCIS W. DRAPER. Witnesses:

ALBERTO F. MARTINEZ, LAWRENCE H. PFEIFFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

